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Weekly Forum: Mrs Turner

The Mrs Turner Question

Weekly Forum 2014: 15 July 2014

Below is all of the textual evidence concerning Mrs Turner who is mentioned only once in the Canon and then disappears forever into question. 

From the text, a number of explanations can be developed from the following snippets: “Mrs Turner;” “brought in the tray;”  “our landlady had provided.”

You may wish to put forth explanations as to Mrs Turner’s antecedents that seem most promising to you and perhaps others will do the same.

The text:

[Watson] “But what is it you wish?”

[Holmes] “When Mrs Turner has brought in the tray I will make it clear to you. Now,” he said, as he turned hungrily on the simple fare that our landlady had provided, “I must discuss it while I eat, for I have not much time. It is nearly five now. In two hours we must be on the scene of action. Miss Irene, or Madame, rather, returns from her drive at seven. We must be at Briony Lodge to meet her.”

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“Chips” quotes “Pippin”

To All:

I have permission from the author of this Piece to reprint it here. He is James O’Leary, a fellow Watsonian and Sherlockian of the first order. He has a interesting comment that is to be found in full at that marvelously informative site, I HEAR OF SHERLOCK EVERYWHERE. The title of his piece is “Sherlock Boom . . . What Sherlock Boom?” I strongly suggest you read the whole piece. I want to share this part  as I wish I could put the thought into words as well as he has:

“For as much as we play The Game that Doyle was the literary agent to John H. Watson, there is no higher accolade than to say an author created a character that lives. We read the words Doyle wrote with care for the clues they tell us about those living, breathing fictional characters and, like all good literature, tell us about us. There is nothing wrong with re-inventing Holmes for the times. Each generation has its own Hamlet, its own Macbeth, its own Romeo and Juliet, but Shakespeare is ever-present. There are no venerated Shakespeare pastiches, no continuing adventures of Othello. His characters have not become myth and that is the fear that some see in the face of Benedict Cumberbatch cum Sherlock; a Sherlock with multiple births, an archetype to be molded into any shape by any sculptor — a Holmes without a Doyle.

It is the now the Cumberbatch/Sherlock Boom and the great detective who was published between 1887 and 1927 is along for the ride. He survived the Reichenbach, Gillette’s on-stage betrothal and Rathbone’s bizarre windswept hairdo. He is made of sterner stuff. Because Sherlock Holmes and John Watson live, and live only, in four novels and 56 short stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

“Aye, there’s the genius and the wonder of the thing!” And don’t forget it.”

Enjoy,

Chips

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Words . . .

This morning, the tree nursery is coming to plant a Chinese Fringe Tree in our yard (Google image it if you haven’t seen one).

Those three words led me to ask myself if I could cite the use of each word in the Canon. Rather than do the research, I decided to let our intrepid Canonical Concordance Commandos attack the question.  Where are the words Chinese, fringe and tree in the Canon?  How many appearances for each?

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Weekly Quiz 2014: 28   Minor Characters of the Canon

RESULTS: The results this week have honours going to Ron Lies, “Chips” for being first in with 10/10 correct answers. Congratulations “Chips”!

Beth Gallego “Selena” also hounoured with a 10/10, as did James O’Leary “Pippin.” Congratulations to these Quiz Masters!

The team entry, as always, was ably mastered by Airiana Maher “Carla,” Sheila Holtgrieve “Daisy,” and Margie Deck, “Gwen” of the Seattle SOBs. Congratulations to this trio also!

The answers are posted below. A number of alternative answers were provided by the Masters and, as it always does, this enriched the quiz experience.

This week’s quiz is about the minor characters of the Canon. Please submit solutions to buttons@johnhwatsonsociety.com by 7 pm Wednesday, 16 July 2014.

Enjoy!

file_download.pngDownload Week 28 Questions and Answers

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Weekly Quiz Resumes Today at 4 pm Eastern and the Annual Treasure Hunt Begins in 20 Days

The Weekly Quiz returns today at 4 pm Eastern. Try your powers of deduction and have an hour of Canonical fun.

The Treasure Hunt is 20 days away! This is the World Invitational Treasure Hunt with 150 of the most difficult questions ever assembled.  We welcome all Members, non-members, individuals, teams and Club Teams from across the world.  See the Treasure Hunt page for full information and be ready 1 August 2014!
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Weekly Forum:  “Families”

Weekly Forum

Topic: The Primary “Families” of the Canon

Two primary groups of close-knit characters exist in the Canon. These act almost as “families.”

The “Holmes Family” consisting of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes, Doctor John Watson and Mrs Hudson often contest against the “Moriarty Family” consisting of Professor James Moriarty, his brothers, Colonel James Moriarty and the “station-master,” and Colonel Sebastian Moran.

How are these two “families” utilized in the Canon as both parallels and antitheses? Are there other “families” in the Canon? Are there echoes of Shakespeare, the eternal struggle between ‘good and evil,’ the Greek literary forms, or other literary antecedents?  

Feel free to comment and join in. The more the merrier!

Buttons

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The Beauty of the Doctor’s Language

Here is a statement by Jody Baker that I read and want to share with you.

“Chips”

“So it is that in our study of The Adventure of the Copper Beeches matter we again encounter the poetic spirit of Doctor Watson and the exquisite beauty of his expression:”

It was an ideal spring day. A light blue sky, flecked with little fleecy white clouds drifting across from west to east. The sun was shining brightly, and yet there was an exhilarating nip in the air which set an edge to a man’s energy. All over the countryside, away to the rolling hills around Aldershot, the little red and gray roofs of the farm steadings peep out from amid the light green of the new foliage.[COPP, Doub.p.322]

Is there a lovelier description in all of literature than this?

Respectfully,

Inspector Baynes aka “Jody Baker”

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From the Hall Stool: Weekly Forum

One of the most interesting things about Buttons’ job for the Good Doctor is sitting on the hall stool and observing the comings and goings.

Recently, we have had a lively discussion on the literary merits of Mr Mycroft. What Buttons observed was a number of very well-formed positions with ample textual evidence for an enjoyable and beneficial Forum. Just listening (with an aside or two), I learned a great deal about the Doctor’s intentions and the importance of Mr Holmes’ brother (who I think is involved more than we know).

Anyway, just sitting here day after day, it occurs to me that we could use the Doctor’s waiting room for a Weekly Forum.  There are no patients on Tuesday (the Doctor goes to the races on Tuesday) and we can arrange the chairs and have a group of people in to discuss various things about the Doctor’s stories, all done gracious-like and polite.  I spoke with the gov’nor and he said, “Go ahead. It might sell more books,” so Dr W has no objections; in fact, he said he would leave a note on his desk on Monday night with his suggestion for the Forum topic.  I’ll pin it up on the door and when you arrive you’ll be ready to join in on the discussion.

A Forum format rather than a debate allows us all the positive aspects of dialogue without the necessity of “winning” as in a debate format. The ancient Forum assured the integrity of intellectual honesty, the graciousness of polite discourse, the respect  for rhetorical arts, and the celebration of shared discoveries. 

If you are interested in being a part of the Weekly Forum, stop by on Tuesday at two o’clock in the afternoon, Eastern time.  If you wish to bring a pint and a pie, feel free to do so. You might want to bring an extra in case someone here might be hungry or thirsty. 


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Doctor Watson: By Phil Cornell

To All:

This drawing was done by a very talented artist from Australia named Phil Cornell. You may be familiar with his work from The Baker Street Journal and many other publications. I have copies of some more drawings of his I will send along.

I just received my society lapel/blouse pin for our group. It is quite impressive and well worth the money. I will be wearing it to all the Sherlockian functions in my area. If you have have not ordered yours yet, you should. You will like it.

All my best,

“Chips” aka Ron

9686872_orig.jpg

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After this week, a Brief Hiatus

Weekly Quiz 2014: 26

Results:  Sheila Holtgrieve “Daisy” and Margie Deck “Gwen” are the only Members to get this one correct. It was obscure, having been written about nearly 40 years ago.  “Daisy” even came up with an earlier usage of the “Divine Miss A” in the literature. Astounding work!  Answer is below.  See you in another week!

This week’s quiz is another small taste of the Treasure Hunt coming up 1 August.  Please submit the solution to buttons@johnhwatsonsociety.com by 4 pm Wednesday, 2 July 2014.

With the upcoming holiday and the general summer slow down, we will skip a week and resume the quiz on 11 July 2014.

file_download.pngDownload Week 26 Questions and Answers.

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More On Mycroft

For a moment, forget all of the “character business” we know about Mycroft and think of him in context of the Canonical structure.  What is Mycroft’s role and purpose in the Canon?  Is he a major or minor character?   Is he essential to understanding something about Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson? Is he simply interesting but not essential? If Mycroft was not included in the Canon, would we notice his absence?

Consider what Sherlock tells us: 1) Mycroft is older; 2) Mycroft has greater powers than Sherlock; 3) Mycroft is even more intellectually powerful and ascetic than Sherlock; 4) Everything concerning Mycroft is static whereas everything about Sherlock is dynamic; Mycroft is ennui and Sherlock is energy.

Is Mycroft a literary device to illuminate Sherlock? What is Watson’s opinion of Mycroft, or does he have one?

Your thoughts . . . .?

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On “Becoming” Holmes or Watson

To All:

     When I first read Sherlock Holmes, I was amazed at the stories and how Holmes solved the cases. The more stories I read, the more my outlook changed. Instead of trying to solve the case, I simply enjoyed being along with Holmes as he solved the case.

     When reading, I was going here and there with Holmes and realized I had become Doctor Watson.  Through the beauty of his prose and the style of the writing, I was changed into the Doctor and transported back to 1895.

I recently read a phrase in a paper I would like to share with you. It rang true and I hope you enjoy it too.

“May I submit to you that if you will apply rational reasoning and thought to the matter, you will (may) find that your deep and abiding love for the Sherlock Holmes tales is because of Watson and not because of Holmes.

The Defense Rests.
          -Respectfully, Baynes. aka Jody Baker

     I thank “Buttons” for his advice for my column as well as for the kind words he wrote about me in our latest newsletter.  I thank our Editor, “Sandy,” for helping me make my articles for our journal better.

Ron Lies “Chips”

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Mycroft: Did He Pass Away?

Margie Deck “Gwen” from Seattle’s Sound of the Baskervilles and one of our most active Members has sent along a very interesting question.  She refers to the Sherlock Peoria blog and a posting that ask whether Mycroft might have passed away when “The Dying Detective” was written.  Here is the link:

http://sherlockpeoria.blogspot.com/2014/06/summer-of-sherlock-greek-interpreter.html

Margie wonders whether anyone would like to reason a response to this question. The premise of the theory is that if Holmes was dying Watson surely would have notified Mycroft, yet no mention of Mycroft is made.

Thoughts? Can you support or refute the position?

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The Summer Solstice Quiz!

Weekly Quiz 2014: 25

Results:  You all got this quiz in one!  Submissions were received within hours. Congratulations to Elinor Gray “Misty,” Beth Gallego “Selena,” Melissa Anderson “Faith,” and our team of Sheila Holtgrieve “Daisy” and Margie Deck “Gwen” for their successes.  Must have been the Solstice!  Answers are below.

In celebration of the Summer Solstice tomorrow, we have this week’s quiz to delight you. Illuminations and solutions may be sent to Arthur Uther Pendragon via the usual mail: buttons@johnhwatsonsociety.com

Come to think of it . . . I fail to recall the mention of the Summer Solstice–or any solstice–in the Canon. We have equinoctial gales, but no solstice. No Druids either.

file_download.pngDownload Week 25 Questions and Answers

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Important Change in Membership Categories

The Society has listened to its members and is making an important change to the membership categories.

The Society will no longer have two categories of Members: Charter and Founding, and Loyal Members.  Forthwith, we will have only Monikered Members.  Founding and Charter Members will still be recognized as such, but all present and new Members to the Society will have equal membership, including the conferring upon them of a bull pup name, or ‘moniker,’ the name by which Members refer to each other.

This is retroactive to January 1, 2014 and all Members who have joined since that date and who were formerly Loyal Members are now Monikered Members.  You will receive your Society bull pup moniker as soon as the Chair convenes the ancient, mystical and arcane process for their selection, a process that involves profound cogitation, rumination, partial levitation, and moderate bibulation. The result, of course, is the unique bull pup moniker for each Member. The Chair neither professes to understand nor seeks to influence the mystical process; it is all done through the wisdom of the Ethers.

Therefore, in an act of equality and inclusiveness, the Society seeks to simplify membership and to recognize only one category of membership once for all:  Member.

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Digital Edition of the Society’s Journal Now Available

A number of you– including Don Pollock “Hound” and Bob Katz “Willow”–have previously suggested that the Society consider a digital edition of The Watsonian, as well as the print edition.  Buttons was undecided and did not wish to slight or endanger our superb print edition.

Now, through the logic and reasoned persuasion offered by Margie Deck “Gwen,” the following one-year test is being conducted:

The Society will make a digital edition of the entire 178 page April 2014 journal available to members and non-members, as an elective purchase. Both extra print copies and digital copies will be priced at $10.00 per copy (the same cost as the two-year subscription for members). Orders for extra print copies will be  sent postage-paid; orders for digital copies will be downloaded to your email address. It should be noted that print copies are limited and may not be available. We print only 200 to 250 copies each issue, and they go fast!  If we are out of print on an issue, at least you can now have the Pdf digital edition.

This is not a change to your subscription as a member of the Society. You will continue to receive the print edition twice a year. This is only for those of you who wish extra copies or for non-members who would like to have the journal or have a digital copy for their libraries.

As the cost at $10.00 for either print or digital is the same as the Member cost, we believe we will not lose members and, in fact, when digital buyers see the advantage of paying $40 for two-years and four journals, they may as well join the Society and become active participants in the fastest growing Watsonian organization in the world! Plus, we believe the Society may benefit by selling a fair number of digital editions to non-members and, thereby, lowering our print production costs and ensuring the financial stability of our wonderful print journal for the years to come.

The print and digital editions of The Watsonian are available for purchase on the Society Publications page.  Choose the Buy Now button and scroll down to select the version desired. You will be taken to PayPal where you may choose cash payment or credit card, as you wish.  If you purchase the digital edition, the Society will be notified of your payment and will email you the digital copy of the journal within two days (most  are sent the same day and, in fact, often within an hour or two).

So, thank you Margie Deck “Gwen” for your very helpful analysis and for persuading the Society to open up access to our fine journal to Sherlockians and Watsonians worldwide. And thank you to others who have made very helpful suggestions recently regarding the journal and the production costs associated with a print publication.  We appreciate all of your thoughts and take them very seriously. We are all about inclusiveness and access to our Society by as many enthusiasts as care to be involved. This is a wonderful step forward for our goal of honouring Doctor Watson for his many excellent qualities and values and for his immortal talent as a writer.  Insperata Floruit.

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A Quote by Mr Starrett

To All:

A quote you may enjoy. The location is given as number 256 In Ronald De Waal’s massive work, The World Bibliography  of Sherlock Holmes, 1974 edition. The quote is attributed to Vincent Starrett who is addressing the unpublished adventures. As I do not have the Starrett work in my meager collection I would  be grateful to anyone who would kind enough to look it up and let me know the details of the listing.

“Fragments of mystery exist completely in memory or anticipation like tales read long ago and years forgotten– their outlines blur and waver just beyond the edge of thought. It is part of Watson’s magic that some of those lost adventures, never set down in print, seem to inhabit the chambers of the mind as memorably as those 60 others that made up the saga.”

I freely admit the emphasis on the Watson’s Magic is my mine own editing.

Best

“Chips”

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“Can there be anything lovelier than a tree . . .?”

Weekly Quiz 2014:  24

Results:  The review of submissions for this week’s quiz reveals very fine research being done by a number of our Members. This quiz was subtle: there is more than one answer depending on interpretations.  Our Members found all of the standard solutions, but also found many more alternative solutions that are as correct as those found in the usual reference works on the Canon.  This was pure textual research and all of it was first rate!  For the first time, we see a spotlight on new analyses and scholarship concerning the Canonical flora. Congratulations to Beth Gallego “tbn,” Melissa Anderson “Faith,” and our team of Sheila Holtgrieve “Daisy” and Margie Deck “Gwen” for their superb research skills.Buttons has to believe that there is a wonderfully enlightening monograph somewhere in this quiz. Perhaps something like: “Sunlight and Shade: On the Various Canonical Trees and Bushes.”  Maybe our intrepid researchers and Quiz Masters will collaborate!

The answers are below, albeit not the definitive answers.

We look at Trees in the Canon for this week’s quiz.  Please submit your answers by 7 pm EDT Wednesday, 18 June 2014 to:  buttons@johnhwatsonsociety.com

Enjoy!

file_download.pngDownload Week 24 Questions and Answers

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Preparing for the Treasure Hunt

With the journal recently printed and mailed (and thank you very much indeed for the exceptionally nice comments from so many of you), we now turn our attention to the preparation of the annual Treasure Hunt questions.

This year, in addition to the Member Individual and the Open Individual categories, we are extending this second annual Treasure Hunt to a worldwide focus with the first John H Watson Society Annual World Invitational Treasure Hunt. We are also inviting teams or individuals from all over the world to participate for the honours of solving what may be the most difficult Sherlockian/Watsonian quiz in history. The competition will begin 1 August 2014 and end 1 September 2014. Details are found on the Treasure Hunt page of this website.

If you are reading this, please consider this to be your official invitation to field a team of Quiz Masters from the U.S., Canada, U.K., France, Italy, India, Portugal, UAE, or wherever two or more Sherlockians/Watsonians may be gathered and willing to spend up to one month on scholarly and Canonical research to solve 150 diabolically difficult questions (yes, you read correctly: the number of questions is increasing to 150).

Here, we will spend all of June and July researching, writing and perfecting at least 3 questions a day, all linked in a great chain of 150 forged links, each enabling participants to find their way to the ultimate treasure in question #150 and, at last, to Perfection of Canonical Knowledge (PCK).

Return regularly for updates . . . Now is the time to get online to your favourite bookseller and purchase a copy of the one-volume edition of The Complete Sherlock Holmes, published by Doubleday, 1930, with the Christopher Morley preface, and having a “W” in the copyright notation. This is the standard reference for the quizzes. These editions can be found on eBay, ABE books, Powell’s, and elsewhere for anywhere from $6 to $30 depending upon condition. This edition is the standard text and gives us all a common page number and line number reference for any Canonical question or citation.

For those of you who belong to scion societies or have international contacts, please let as many clubs and organisations as possible know about the open invitation to participate. We would genuinely wish to see a great worldwide participation by enthusiasts of the Canon and a continuation of the burgeoning interest in and recognition of Dr Watson as an integral and essential creator, character and partner in the Sherlockian milieu.